GOES-16, the first satellite in the GOES-R series, launched in November 2016 and now provides 16 multispectral bands of satellite data, including CONUS scans every five minutes, with 0.5 kilometer visible imagery resolution and 2.0 km longwave infrared resolution. This ... Read more »

This module is intended for experienced forecasters shifting from duties over a land-based area to a coastal or Great Lakes region where both over-land and over-water forecast areas exist. This module highlights the differences between marine boundary layer and terrestrial ... Read more »

This listing of multilingual training materials for the GOES-R series includes both foundational lessons and quick guides developed by various partners at the request of the U.S. National Weather Service and NESDIS. The selections included here represent materials ... Read more »

Aircraft icing has resulted in numerous accidents, some fatal. The problem is due, in part, to a lack of awareness on the part of aviation forecasters (and others) that icing is imminent. The lesson addresses this issue by presenting a process for forecasting enroute icing ... Read more »

This lesson provides information about current science and technologies for measuring pressure in the atmosphere. The lesson begins by reviewing the key physical laws governing atmospheric pressure, including Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures. Then, it explores typical ... Read more »

This lesson offers a comprehensive overview of temperature measurement as related to the atmosphere, bodies of water, soils, and other parts of Earth’s surface. The lesson begins by defining temperature and why it is an important property to characterize. It provides ... Read more »

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) flies aboard the GOES-R series satellites and provides lightning detection data at a quality and resolution not previously available from space. The GLM's continuous lightning monitoring capability is a valuable asset to detecting ... Read more »

This lesson is a follow-on to COMET’s Communicating Forecast Uncertainty lesson, which introduces research findings on the effective communication of uncertainty information and enables learners to apply them to a North American case. This lesson focuses on a European ... Read more »

This scenario-based lesson introduces the topic of communicating forecast uncertainty to decision-makers, such as emergency managers, related industry professionals, the public, and other end-users. In a case that spans the lesson, learners begin by developing a forecast ... Read more »

This lesson provides an overview of basic weather processes, beginning with how the distribution of incoming solar energy helps to establish Earth’s atmospheric circulations. Learners will gain an understanding of the differences between weather and climate, and how ... Read more »

This lesson is focused on how a model forecast and the interpretation of that forecast, is affected by the basic design of the model. Topics include how meteorological variables are represented in grid point and spectral models, fundamental differences between hydrostatic ... Read more »

This lesson provides an introduction to the instrumentation used for meteorological measurements. Aimed at undergraduate and graduate students in meteorology and the atmospheric sciences, it examines the types of observing systems available to measure temperature, pressure, ... Read more »

This lesson covers how satellite observations inform numerical weather prediction models. It begins with a basic overview of what satellite data types are assimilated and how, and ends with an overview of how data from new instrument's may make it into a model.
This ... Read more »

This five minute lesson presents a brief overview of how GOES-R observations are expected to support and potentially enhance NWP for various analysis and forecast applications.
This lesson is a part of the NWS Satellite Foundational GOES-R ... Read more »

This lesson introduces the concepts and principles basic to retrieving important land and ocean surface properties using microwave remote sensing observations from polar-orbiting satellites. Section one reviews the advantages of microwave remote sensing from polar-orbiting ... Read more »

This lesson describes the need for real-time lightning information and the capabilities of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), which will fly on the next-generation GOES-R satellites as the first operational lightning detector in geostationary orbit.
This lesson is ... Read more »

This lesson introduces the processes of model data assimilation. It also discusses the impacts of errors in the data assimilation on model forecasts and how a human forecaster can compensate for ... Read more »

This lesson introduces seven of the ten infrared imager bands on the GOES R-U ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager). It examines the spectral characteristics of each band to facilitate a better understanding of band selection and what each band observes, and to shed light on some ... Read more »

This resource is intended for use as a job aid by operational weather forecasters in live warning situations and as a reference tool to better understand some aspects of severe thunderstorm warning events. Thumbnail images show typical representatives for sixteen radar ... Read more »

This lesson describes model parameterizations of surface, PBL, and free atmospheric processes. It specifically addresses how models treat these processes, how such processes can potentially interact with each other, and how they can influence forecasts of sensible weather ... Read more »

Both the processes of convection and of rainfall formation are typically subgrid scale, and require parameterisation. This lesson examines two types of precipitation parameterisation used by models:
Convective parameterisation
Microphysics
The lesson ... Read more »

This is the fourth lesson in our series on open water waves. As deep-water
waves approach the coastline, they encounter shallower water and begin to
interact with the sea floor while evolving into shallow water waves. This
lesson uses an interactive wave calculator to ... Read more »

This lesson introduces forecasters to the complex and multifaceted process for creating a forecast. It also discusses how NWP fits into that process. In addition, the lesson provides a broad overview of the basic components of NWP and how they combine to produce a model ... Read more »

The EPS Products Reference Guide provides information about nine commonly used ensemble prediction system (EPS) products. Each has a description, tips for interpreting and using it effectively, a list of its strengths and weaknesses, and practice exercises. The Guide is ... Read more »

This lesson provides an overview of Earth’s atmosphere, its vertical structure, the fundamental forces acting on air, and how the atmosphere's composition affects the colors we see in the sky. The lesson also includes information about how Earth receives energy from the ... Read more »

This lesson introduces the concepts needed to understand and use ensemble prediction system (EPS) products. It describes basic statistical quantities and methods used to develop EPS products, such as probability distribution functions (PDFs) and cumulative distribution ... Read more »

This lesson introduces you to three of the four near-infrared imager bands (at 1.37, 1.6, and 2.2 micrometers) on the GOES R-U ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager), focusing on their spectral characteristics and how they affect what each band observes. For information on the 0.86 ... Read more »

This lesson introduces you to the two visible and one of the near-infrared imager bands on the GOES R-U ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager), focusing on their spectral characteristics and how they affect what each band observes. Also included is a brief discussion of the ... Read more »

This lesson is an abbreviated review of the scientific basis for using visible and infrared satellite imagery. The concepts and capabilities presented are common to most geostationary (GEO) and low-Earth orbiting (LEO) meteorological satellites. Basic remote sensing and ... Read more »

Ocean waves near shore impact public safety, commerce, navigation, and, of course recreation. Predicting these waves has driven efforts to model them for more than two decades. This module introduces forecasters to different nearshore wave models, including phase-resolving ... Read more »

Turbulence is a major concern for the aviation industry. It often goes undetected in cloud-free areas, catching pilots off guard when they fly into it. Turbulence can injure passengers and crew, and cause structural damage to aircraft. This makes it critical for aviation ... Read more »

The Satellite Feature Identification: Atmospheric Rivers lesson presents the global moisture transport phenomenon known as the Atmospheric River (AR). ARs are responsible for transporting the majority of maritime moisture from low to middle latitudes. Advanced satellite ... Read more »

This lesson introduces learners to the uncertainty and errors in forecasting the track, timing, and intensity of tropical cyclones. It provides an overview of how the National Hurricane Center’s cone of uncertainty is constructed, as well as its uses and common ... Read more »

This lesson introduces forecasters to the physical processes and impacts of tropical cyclone storm surge. It provides an overview of the factors that affect storm surge, how it is measured, and the limitations associated with storm surge data.
This online lesson is part ... Read more »

This lesson provides a brief overview of surface and upper-air data and how these data are plotted on meteorological charts. The content introduces various charting and reporting techniques, including station models, contour analyses, streamlines, and upper air maps. ... Read more »

This lesson introduces forecasters to the orthometric and tidal datums used to describe tropical cyclone storm surge measurements and forecasts. It provides a general overview of how to interpret storm surge forecasts using various vertical datums.
This online lesson is ... Read more »

This lesson introduces forecasters to the various probabilistic guidance products used by the National Hurricane Center to forecast storm surge. It provides an overview of how these probabilistic surge products are created, their purposes, and why they are preferred to ... Read more »

Climate is changing at unprecedented rates in recorded history. A variety of lines of evidence demonstrate that climate change is likely to affect the hydrologic cycle and thus create new challenges in water management. This requires that climate change information be ... Read more »

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About Our Training Resources

Our training consists of lessons and courses. A lesson is targeted toward one focused subject, whereas a course is a collection of lessons that pertain to a broader subject area. You can receive certificates of completion for both lessons and courses. Courses are entirely self-paced and available for open enrollment. We also list a select set of resources that are not hosted on MetEd that are of high quality and of interest to our community.

Virtual Classroom

The COMET® Program's virtual classroom provides access to material in support of our residence and virtual courses. These courses are generally available by invitation only and are hosted at our UCAR facility in beautiful Boulder, Colorado.